SAN DIEGO — After nearly two thirds of the year silent, San Diego’s flagship musical organizations are finding innovative ways to bring back their musicians in live performances.
Some are still streamed virtually, like the beautiful free concert of San Diego Symphony Musicians under the direction of their brilliant new conductor, Raphael Payare, which took place at the Conrad Prybs Concert Hall in La Jolla, and is still available on the internet.
The program included a rendition of Mozart’s Divertimento in D, two unfamiliar pieces by two American Black composers: Banner by Jessie Montgomery, a clever take-off on the Stars Spangled Banner; and Lament by George Walker, a somber work which SDSO Manager Martha Gilmer dedicated to those lives lost in the current pandemic.
The concert concluded with an outstanding reading of Beethoven’s Triple Concerto, featuring pianist Inon Barnatan, violinist Jeff Thayer and cellist Alissa Weilerstein, accompanied by a scaled down ensemble with one player on each part.
The Beethoven Concerto was originally scheduled as part of the opening concert of the cancelled season.
Payare’s introductory remarks reflected his warmth and sincerity, and the musicians, all masked and distanced, seemed to be playing their hearts out for their inspiring maestro.
Nearly half the orchestra was made up of the “old guard,” SDSO members who were in the orchestra when I was a member, before 2004. There were violinists Alex Palamidis, John Stubbs, Eddie Stein, Angela Homnick, Hernan Constantino, cellist Richard Levine, flutist Sarah Tuck, clarinetist Theresa Tunnicliff, and bassoonist Valentin Marchev.
Meanwhile, the San Diego Opera Company is actually presenting performances of La Boheme in the parking lot of the Sports Arena. The stage performance, accompanied by SDSO musicians, was projected on screens and the audio was channeled through the car radios.
Apparently, it was a successful endeavor, and the company is planning its December performance of “All Is Calm” to also be presented in this manner.
San Diego-based Mainly Mozart Festival claims to have made history as North America’s first organization to put on live classical music in front of a live audience since the quarantine. Their successful concerts were also outdoors, on a stage in the parking lot of the Del Mar Fairgrounds. There, too, the concert needed to be experienced as in the old drive-in theaters, from the interior of the automobile.
The La Jolla Music Society is presenting a free streamed concert in their Discovery Series on Friday, October 30 2020. Pianist Eric Lu will give a Performance Demonstration featuring works by Mozart and Schubert.
At least one San Diego Symphony violinist has staged a series of summer outdoor concerts in her backyard, for a limited number of ten listeners, seated in carefully marked spots, to ensure their distancing. I was able to attend the final concert of the summer and enjoyed performances of Mozart’s Sonata in Bb Major, selections from Gershwin’s Porgy & Bess, arranged by Jascha Heifetz, and the Vivaldi Concerto for Two Violins, in which another talented SDSO played the other part. It was the first time in eight months that I had listened to live music played by professional musicians. What a treat!
Hopefully, by supporting these performances through attendance, donations and ticket purchases, we can ensure that when it is fully safe to resume full-scale performances in our concert halls, we will have retained the high-caliber musicians in our community to deliver those musical pleasures.
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Eileen Wingard, a retired violinist with the San Diego Symphony Orchestra, is a freelance writer based in San Diego. She may be contacted via eileen.wingard@sdjewishworld.com
What a wonderful article. As a musician with the San Diego Symphony I personally have absolutely been thrilled to find ways to connect with our community in new ways. Thank you Eileen for bringing attention to all these efforts.